First Day Back
by Kittenmommy
Summary: Another sequel to my fic An English Werewolf In NY. Harry and his friends begin a new year at Hogwarts, where they meet a new teacher, discover Snape's weakness, and get a practical lesson in Defense Against the Dark Arts that they'll never forget!
1. Morning Classes

  


"First Day Back" 

STANDARD DISCLAIMER: Only one of them is mine - the rest are J.K. Rowling's. I'm not making any money from this, though God knows I sure could use it. The song "Werewolves of London" belongs to Warren Zevon. 

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is another follow-up to my fic _An English Werewolf in New York_, so if you haven't read that one and you think you might like to, go read it before you read this, 'cause there are major spoilers to be had in this fic. Also, you'll have a hard time figuring out what the heck is going on in this fic if you haven't read that one.   
  


Chapter 1 

Morning Classes   


It was the first day of classes at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In the Great Hall, all of the students had assembled for their first breakfast of the year.   
"We've only got four classes today," Hermione was saying. "But they're all doubles."   
"So what's first?" Harry asked, reaching for another piece of toast. Hermione peered at her schedule.   
"Transfiguration," she replied happily. Neville groaned. "Cheer up," Hermione told him. "It could've been Potions."   
"And after Transfiguration?" Ron asked, helping himself to more bacon.   
"Muggle Studies. We'll get to meet the new Professor Lupin!"   
"That'll be cool," Harry said.   
"You know, she's probably a bigger hellion than Snape," Ron mused. "Just think, this is a woman who tamed a werewolf!" Neville laughed, a picture of their new teacher holding off Professor Lupin with a whip and a chair forming in his mind.   
"I don't think it was quite like that - " Harry began.   
"I wonder why they didn't come to breakfast," Hermione suddenly said, gesturing at the staff table, where there were two empty seats and no sign of either Professor Lupin.   
"I dunno," Harry said. "They were at the Welcoming Feast last night."   
"Did you see Snape's face when Dumbledore introduced them?" Ron asked gleefully. "I thought he was going to have an aneurysm!" He turned to Neville. "I'll bet Snape is in a WONDERFUL mood today, eh Neville?" Neville groaned.   
"Come on, Hermione," he said. "I can't stand it anymore. Give it to me straight: When is Potions?" She laughed and checked her schedule again.   
"Well, after Muggle Studies, we've got Defense Against the Dark Arts, and THEN we've got Potions."   
"Great," Neville said. "Last class of the day. That gives me all day long to worry about it!" Hermione read a bit further down on her schedule.   
"Oh, more good news," she said sarcastically, this time not sounding at all happy about the information she was about to relate. "We're with Slytherin… ALL DAY."   
Everyone groaned.   


They were standing in the hallway outside the Transfiguration classroom talking amongst themselves when they heard a familiar (and not much missed) voice.   
"Oh look, they've stuck us with the mudbloods, the Muggle-lovers, and the hopeless cases," Draco Malfoy sneered.   
"Dumbledore is probably hoping that they'll learn something from the excellent examples we set," Pansy Parkinson replied.   
"There's only one thing YOU lot could ever teach us," Harry said hotly. "And that's how to be first class assho - " The classroom's door was suddenly opened from within.   
"Good morning, class," Professor McGonagall said. She looked the same as ever; tall, thin, dressed in swirling emerald green robes, with her thick, black hair pulled back in a severe bun and her square glasses perched on the bridge of her nose. Her eyes swept over the group of students. She gave them a disapproving look, as though she knew what had been going on before her arrival. Finally, she stepped aside and the students filed into the Transfiguration classroom. "Please take your seats." On each desk was a vase of silk flowers. "Today's lesson will be a practical lesson. With the use of a simple spell which I will teach you directly, you will turn your artificial flowers into real flowers."   
"That doesn't sound too hard," Hermione whispered.   
"Maybe not for YOU!" Neville whispered, sounding apprehensive.   
"Shh!" Harry scolded. "I'm trying to pay attention!" As Professor McGonagall explained the spell, Neville scribbled frantic notes in an effort to write down every single word she said. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle, watched him, snickering.   
"Look at him taking notes!" Crabbe snorted.   
"For all the good it'll do him!" Goyle replied.   
"They have no room to laugh at YOU, Neville," Ron said, gesturing at Malfoy's hulking cronies. "I don't think they even know how to write!"   
"All right, class," Professor McGonagall finally said. "Let's begin."   


An hour later, a rather subdued group of students left the Transfiguration classroom.   
"That was a lot harder than it looked," Harry said. "Mine still had plastic stems when I was done!" Hermione shrugged.   
"I don't know, it seemed easy to me!"   
"Oh be quiet," Neville said irritably.   
"Cheer up, Neville," Ron said, clapping him on the shoulder. "You invented a brand new species of plant, didn't you?"   
"I was supposed to change the FLOWERS, not the VASE!" Neville reminded him.   
"At least you managed to change SOMETHING," Hermione said, and immediately realized that her words could hardly be considered encouragement.   
"Look on the bright side," Harry said as they walked up the hall to their next class. "Maybe she'll at least give you points for effort."   
"And creativity," Ron added. Neville glared at him.   
"Muggle Studies is next," Hermione said, changing the subject.   
"My dad is so jealous we've got a real Muggle teaching us," Ron said. "You know how he's fascinated by Muggles and their inventions."   
"Here we are," Harry said as they reached the Muggle Studies classroom.   
Students from the previous class were still leaving the room. They all had big smiles on their faces. Some of them were singing a phrase over and over again: "Ah-hoooooo! Werewolves of London! Ah-hoooooo!" Harry and Hermione exchanged a look.   
"This is going to be a FUN class," he told her. She smiled.   
"Why, hello!" a new voice said. They turned to see a smiling Remus Lupin coming up the hall, looking as thin and pale as ever. However, he was dressed much more nicely than the last time they had seen him, in flowing gray robes that looked brand new. His hair had more gray than they remembered, and he looked as though he felt unwell. Even so, his voice was as cheerful as always as he greeted each of them in turn. "Harry… Hermione… Neville… Ron…" He shook the boys' hands, and then became the very surprised recipient of a hug and a kiss on the cheek from Hermione.   
"Mudbloods and werewolves," Malfoy's voice griped from behind them.   
"Shut up, Malfoy!" Harry flared.   
"Yeah, stick a sock in it," Neville agreed.   
"And use one of your own - it would probably kill you!" Ron added.   
"Now boys," Professor Lupin said mildly. More students came out of the Muggle Studies classroom. A few of them were singing.   
"Ah-hoooooo! Werewolves of London! Ah-hoooooo!" Professor Lupin shook his head.   
"I hope they don't have Defense Against the Dark Arts next," he sighed.   
"Of course they do," said an American-accented female voice. "That's why I taught them that song!" Amanda Lupin, the new Muggle Studies instructor, stood in the doorway, smiling mischievously at her husband.   
"Thank you SO much!" Professor Lupin said, but he was smiling too.   
"Any time!" she told him, and they both laughed. This was the first time Harry and his friends had seen Professor Lupin's new wife at close range. She was a tall, slender woman with long coppery blonde hair and dark emerald green eyes. She was dressed casually in tight jeans and a New York University sweatshirt. She turned her attention to the students. "Why don't you guys come on in and find seats, OK?" As they entered the classroom, Harry happened to glance over at Malfoy and saw that he was staring at their new teacher like she was a veela. He nudged his companions and directed their attention to the entranced Malfoy, who wasn't looking where he was walking and managed to trip over one of Crabbe's huge feet. Only quick reflexes saved him from falling flat on his face.   
"He's playing way out of his league," Ron snickered. They sat down and watched as their new teacher handed two objects to her husband. He took out his wand and waved them over the objects, muttering something that they couldn't hear.   
"That should do it," Professor Lupin told her, smiling. "They should be good for an hour or so now."   
"Great! Thanks a lot!" she said.   
"Anything for you, my dear," he replied. She laughed. "I've really got to get to my class."   
"I hope you like Warren Zevon!" she told him. He left, smiling and shaking his head. A few seconds later, the bell rang.   
"OK, everybody," she said, walking over to perch on the edge of her desk. "My name is Amanda Lupin, and this is Muggle Studies." She picked up a piece of parchment with the class roll written on it, smiling as she spotted names she knew from stories her husband had told her. "You guys are Gryffindor and Slytherin, right?" There were nods of agreement from all around the room. "Good." She surveyed the students for a moment, and then held up one of the objects that she and Professor Lupin had been whispering over. "Can anyone tell me what this is?" Both Hermione and Harry raised their hands. Everyone else stared blankly. She sighed and pointed at Hermione. "Hermione Granger, right?" Hermione nodded. "Can you explain to the class what this is?"   
"It's a cellular telephone," she said. "It's used for making phone calls. It doesn't have to be plugged into a wall to work."   
"Of course SHE'D know," Pansy Parkinson snorted.   
"Shut up, would you?" Malfoy said irritably. "I'm trying to pay attention to Professor Lupin!" Harry and his friends exchanged glances, smiling. Their new teacher turned her attention to Malfoy.   
"Mister…?" she began.   
"Malfoy," he replied immediately, jumping to his feet. "Draco Malfoy, Professor Lupin. Ma'am."   
"'Ma'am'?" Ron echoed quietly in disbelief. "I never thought I'd live to hear Draco Malfoy call a Muggle 'Ma'am'!"   
"Oh, you guys don't have to call me 'Professor Lupin', Draco," Amanda was saying. "When I hear that, I look around for my husband! Just call me Amanda."   
"Amanda," Draco repeated, grinning like a fool. Parkinson, Crabbe and Goyle were all gaping at Malfoy like he'd just grown an extra head. Harry and his friends were trying desperately to stifle their laughter.   
"OK, Draco. Do you know how telephones work?" Amanda asked.   
"No, Ma'am," he replied politely, shaking his head.   
"Ah," Amanda said. "Well. Does anyone here know how telephones work?" Harry and Hermione raised their hands. She smiled at them. "Hermione and… Harry Potter, right?" Harry nodded. "Good. Would you two like to come up here and demonstrate how to operate a telephone?"   
"Um," Hermione began.   
"Yes, Hermione?" Amanda replied.   
"Well… I'm not sure you know this, but Muggle devices won't work inside Hogwarts. There's too much magic in the air." Amanda nodded.   
"Yeah, I've heard about that," she agreed. "But luckily Remus - er, I mean Professor Lupin knows a protective charm that will give us an hour or so to play with them before they go back to being useless."   
"Wow," Harry said.   
"So if you two would like to come up here and show the class…?" Amanda asked, holding up the two phones and smiling.   


An hour later, the bell rang and they filed out of the Muggle Studies classroom.   
"I'll see you all tomorrow!" Amanda called, smiling and waving as they left.   
"You know, Ron," Harry said as they walked up the hall. "You don't have to scream at the top of your lungs when you use a telephone! My ears are still ringing!"   
"Hey, at least I managed to talk to you," Ron said, casting a meaningful look at Neville.   
"I think I pushed too many buttons," Neville said miserably. "That lady I talked to was awfully nice about it, though. Do you guys have any idea where Sri Lanka is?" Hermione had her schedule out   
"Lunch is next," she told them. "And then Defense Against the Dark Arts."   
"I wonder what we're going to get to do in there this year," Harry mused aloud, thinking about grindylows and boggarts.   
"Maybe something really dangerous!" Ron suggested. Neville groaned and put his head in his hands.   


CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 2, "Afternoon Classes"...   
  
  



	2. Afternoon Classes

"First Day Back" 

STANDARD DISCLAIMER: All but two of these characters belong to J.K. Rowling, and I'm not profiting from this in any way (except for the boost to my ego when I read good reviews...!).   


Chapter 2 

Afternoon Classes   


"Good afternoon, everyone!" Professor Lupin greeted them cheerfully as they filed into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. "I hope you all had a wonderful summer." There were noncommittal murmurs of assent as the students found their seats.   
"He doesn't look as shabby this year," Pansy Parkinson sneered to her friends. "Maybe he married the Muggle for her money!" Malfoy glared at her. "Oh I'm sorry, Malfoy!" she exclaimed in a tone of mock regret. "Did I insult your new girlfriend?"   
"Shut up, Parkinson," he snapped.   
"Trouble in paradise," Ron murmured. Harry snorted. The bell rang.   
"All right then," Professor Lupin said, leaning back against the chalkboard as though he felt tired. "We'll begin straightaway with Dangerous Magical Creatures." He picked up a piece of chalk. "Who can tell me what you should do when confronted with a werewolf?" There was a moment of stunned silence. "Anyone?" An apprehensive murmur went through the class. Even the Slytherins looked embarrassed by the prospect of answering his question. "Oh come on!" Professor Lupin said, sounding exasperated. "Surely SOMEONE must know what to do when you see a werewolf!"   
"Run like hell!" Ron blurted out. A few people laughed uneasily, but Professor Lupin was nodding and smiling.   
"All right," he agreed cheerfully, seeming oblivious to the suddenly charged atmosphere of the classroom. He turned and wrote _Run_ on the chalkboard. "What else?"   
"Kill it like the filthy animal it is!" Malfoy offered venomously. Professor Lupin's eyebrows went up, but he wrote _Kill it_ on the chalkboard without comment. However, Malfoy wasn't content to stop there. "Stabbing it with a sterling silver knife works best… or shooting it with silver bullets. My father made me read up on killing werewolves this summer," he went on in a smug tone. "Just in case it would be useful." Everyone - many Slytherins included - was gaping at Malfoy, shocked by his audacity and appalled by his words. "My father believes in being prepared," Malfoy continued, giving Lupin a malicious smile.   
"Hmm." Professor Lupin said, sounding thoughtful. "So you've got your silver knife and your gun here with you at school, have you?" Malfoy looked taken aback.   
"Er, no…" he admitted. "But - "   
"Well you wouldn't make it in the Boy Scouts, would you Malfoy?" Lupin asked cheerfully. Everyone laughed as Malfoy's face reddened. "All right then," Lupin continued. "What else?" To everyone's surprise, Neville's hand went up. "Neville?"   
"The… uh… the Homorphus Charm," he suggested, looking surprised at himself for being able to recall the answer.   
"Very good, Neville!" Lupin praised, looking pleased. "And what does that charm do?" Neville looked blank. Hermione's hand shot up. "Hermione?" Lupin said.   
"It forces the werewolf to turn back into human form," Hermione answered in that smug, know-it-all tone she frequently employed.   
"There's no such thing as the Homorphus Charm," Ron told her scornfully, unable to resist the opportunity to deflate her ego a bit. "Lockhart made that up." Harry snorted and rolled his eyes at the mention of their former teacher.   
"Actually," Lupin said as he wrote _Homorphus Charm_ on the blackboard, "he didn't."   
"Really?" Harry asked, surprised. "But if he didn't make it up, why don't you - " He broke off in mid-question, suddenly thinking better of what he had planned to ask.   
"Well, Harry, while several wizards have had success with it, I've never seen it work myself," Lupin explained, smiling ruefully.   
"Oh," Harry said, looking embarrassed.   
"It's all right, Harry," Lupin assured him. "Never be afraid to ask questions. Asking questions is the only way to learn. Evidently, the Homorphus Charm only works if the wizard or witch who's using it isn't distracted or frightened at the time. And," he continued, "for reasons we don't understand, it doesn't work if the werewolf has taken the Wolfsbane Potion. So you can imagine that it's mostly ineffective." Everyone nodded. "All right then," Lupin said. "You will spend the rest of this class period in the library researching defenses against werewolves, and tomorrow you will hand in one parchment on the subject." Everyone groaned. Lupin's eyebrows went up. "Is there a problem with that deadline?" he asked. They all nodded eagerly, certain that their good-natured professor would extend the assignment. Lupin sighed. "Well then, you can turn in your assignment tonight. Bring it to my quarters two hours after dinner."   
"But… uh… that's not really what we had in mind, Professor Lupin," Ron told him.   
"That's unfortunate," Lupin told him cheerfully. "You should have stuck with your first choice, hmm?" His pale, blue-rimmed wolf's eyes swept over the class, and the students fell silent. "I've heard it said among members of staff that my students tend to take advantage of my understanding nature," he continued in a quiet voice. "And I've been told not to allow it this year." Ron opened his mouth to say something, but Harry stopped him.   
"Leave it," he told Ron. "Or we'll end up with it due before class even began today!"   


"Potions is next," Hermione told them as they left the library. Neville groaned.   
"I'd rather stay in the library and write TEN parchments about werewolves for Lupin than go to Potions!" he exclaimed.   
"I'm not really looking forward to it myself," Harry agreed.   
"D'you reckon Snape missed us over the summer?" Ron asked. The others turned to stare at him in disbelief. "Come on, what other joy does he have in life besides torturing US?" Neville groaned again.   
"Well, this is it," he said when they reached the Potions classroom. They hung back when they saw Snape standing behind his desk, talking quietly to a startlingly pretty, dark-haired Ravenclaw seventh year. She stood before him with her head down, looking as though she might begin crying at any minute.   
"So you see, Hathaway, you simply must pay the strictest attention to the order of the ingredients for this potion," they heard Snape tell her. "Otherwise, you end up with an unpleasantly corrosive mixture, as you discovered this afternoon." She nodded, wiping her eyes and sniffling. "You might as well throw away your cauldron," he continued. "It's not going to be much good to you after today's little misadventure." Harry, Hermione, and Neville exchanged surprised looks; what on Earth had come over Snape? He seemed so… well… _tolerant_ of the girl's failure!   
"Very pretty, isn't she?" Ron mused, smiling knowingly at the others.   
"Oh Ron, you don't think he… he… fancies her, do you?" Hermione asked, sounding shocked.   
"Why not?" Ron shrugged. "He's only human, after all."   
"I don't know about that," Neville muttered. Harry laughed.   
"It's just that I've always been interested in a career in potion brewing," they heard the girl telling Snape. "I am planning sit for the Potions Master exam after I graduate. Making a big, stupid mistake like that is just so discouraging!"   
"Look at him," Ron continued gleefully, watching Snape come around from behind his desk to lay a comforting hand on the sniffling girl's shoulder. "He's practically turning into another Lupin!"   
"I shouldn't worry too much about it, my dear," Snape was saying. He walked her to the door, his hand still on her shoulder. Harry and his friends backed away, knowing that Snape would be enraged if he became aware that they were witnessing this little scene. "Everyone makes mistakes now and again. You've done excellent work in my class - in fact, you're one of the finest students I've ever had. I'll write you a letter of recommendation for the examination and I'm sure they'll accept you."   
"Oh WOULD you?" she asked, looking up at him and beaming gratefully.   
"It would be my pleasure," he told her, one hand still resting on her shoulder.   
"Thank you SO much, Professor Snape!" she said brightly, grabbing his free hand and squeezing it gratefully. "You've made my day!" The bell rang. "I've got to go - I'm late for Divination. Thanks again!" As Snape watched her hurry down the hall, an odd expression passed over his face. It seemed to be a mixture of longing and regret.   
"Hello, Professor Snape," Malfoy said as he approached up the hallway with Parkinson, Crabbe and Goyle in tow. "It's so nice to come to a class that has a competent instructor for a change." Malfoy's fawning voice brought Snape out of his little reverie.   
"Malfoy. Parkinson. Crabbe. Goyle." He glanced at his watch. "You're all late," he snapped. "Five points each from Slytherin." The Slytherins looked astonished. Malfoy's obsequious smile died on his lips.   
"You know, Neville," Hermione said slowly. "I've just had an idea. And if it works, you won't have to worry about Snape or Potions at all for the rest of the year!"   
"What is it?" Neville asked eagerly. Hermione grinned wickedly.   
"You'll see," she said as they followed Snape into his classroom.   
"All right class," Snape said. "Time to begin. Get out your cauldrons and turn to page 53 in your Potions text. There you will see the recipe for the Joy Potion." His voice took on a vaguely disapproving tone as he continued. "This potion causes a person to feel extremely happy for several hours. You will brew this potion and then you will drink it." There were several audible gulps from around the classroom. Snape smiled thinly, then continued. "Many of you will be pleased to learn that the only consequence of drinking an incorrectly brewed Joy Potion is a rather bad stomachache." His glittering black eyes fixed on Neville. "Seeing Longbottom at dinner this evening would be quite a surprise." Neville flushed scarlet and ducked his head. "Now then," Snape said. "You have an hour and thirty minutes. You may begin."   
"Don't worry, Neville," Hermione whispered. "I have some Alka-Seltzer back in the dorm."   
"Thanks for the encouragement!" Neville shot back. Harry smiled and got to work on his Joy Potion.   


CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 3, "Evening"…   
  



	3. Evening

  


"First Day Back" 

STANDARD DISCLAIMER: Oh, for Heaven's sake. Just go read the other ones from the first two chapters, would you? I really feel I am beginning to repeat myself with my Disclaimers.   


Chapter 3 

Evening   


"I feel AWFUL," Neville moaned, turning on his side and curling up into a fetal position. Harry and Ron sat by his bed, looking sympathetic.   
"Maybe that anti-stomachache potion Madame Pomfrey gave you will start working soon," Harry suggested hopefully.   
"Any time now would be wonderful!" Neville said fervently. There was a knock at the door.   
"Come in," Ron called. The door opened, and Hermione walked in followed by the dark-haired seventh year Ravenclaw girl they'd seen in Snape's classroom earlier that day. Ron's eyebrows went up and he exchanged a look with Harry.   
"This is Lady Cynthia Hathaway," Hermione said. The girl blushed.   
"Please, just Cynthia. I never use my title."   
"I went and sat at the Ravenclaw table during dinner tonight, and she and I had a long talk," Hermione continued. "She's from a Muggle family too. In fact, her father is an earl and she was down for West Heath before she was contacted by Hogwarts."   
"West Heath," Harry mused. "Why does that sound familiar?"   
"It's where Princess Diana went to school," Hermione told him.   
"Oh," he said, exchanging another look with Ron. He saw that Ron had also sensed that Hermione was giving them all this information for a reason.   
"Look," Cynthia said suddenly, "I don't go usually go around telling people here these things. There are a lot of people at this school who don't particularly like Muggles. I've been called a mudblood more times than I can count!"   
"Well, you won't hear that from me," Hermione assured her. "I'm from a Muggle family too, you know."   
"Yeah," said Ron, who was beginning to see where Hermione was going with all this. "And look at Harry here. He's possibly the most famous person in recent memory in the wizarding world, and HE was a Muggle, too!"   
"That's right," Harry agreed. Cynthia peered at him shyly. Ever since her arrival at Hogwarts seven years ago, she'd heard all about The Boy Who Lived. After he'd entered school, she'd seen him from a distance many times. She'd seen him in the hallways, she'd watched him play Quidditch, and of course she'd watched him compete in the Triwizard Tournament. But she'd never actually exchanged two words with him. Her fellow seventh years who were from wizarding families had all grown up on the Harry Potter legend, and many of them were quite in awe of him. She supposed that she should be too. However, aside from the famous lightening bolt scar on his forehead, he looked like just another boy to her, and a rather ordinary-looking one at that.   
"It's poor Neville here who's got troubles," Hermione was saying.   
"I'm sorry," Cynthia said, "My mind wandered. What's happened to your friend?"   
"Oh, poor Neville!" Harry said. "He's from one of the oldest and most prestigious wizarding families in England, and he just can't get a break from Professor Snape."   
"Professor Snape?" Cynthia asked, looking surprised.   
"Yeah," Ron said. "Snape… er, Professor Snape has it in for him because Neville just can't seem to master Potions."   
"And we'd heard you're very skilled at Potions," Hermione added. "So we were hoping that perhaps you'd tutor him…?" Cynthia blinked.   
"Tutor… why, of course I'd be happy to tutor him!" She leaned forward and patted Neville's hand. "Potion brewing isn't that difficult, Neville," she told him reassuringly. "Although," she said thoughtfully, "perhaps you'd do better to go to Professor Snape for help. He's a much better teacher than I and - "   
"Are you kidding?" Neville interrupted, holding his stomach. "Snape's the one who did this to me." Cynthia looked astonished. "He knew my Joy Potion was no good but he made me drink it anyway. He said it would teach me a lesson." Cynthia's expression went from astonishment to anger.   
"I can't believe he'd do something like that! That's no way to teach someone!" she exclaimed. Grimly, Harry and his friends filled Cynthia's ears with tales of Snape's abuse of Neville. When they'd finished, Cynthia was frowning. "Don't worry, Neville. I'll tutor you. And," she continued, her voice hardening with determination, "I'm going to have a word with Professor Snape."   


Cynthia Hathaway stormed through the halls of Hogwarts in search of Potions Master Snape. Unbeknownst to her, she was being followed by four other students hiding under an Invisibility Cloak.   
"My stomach still isn't feeling that great," Neville whispered.   
"Shhh!" Harry, Ron, and Hermione admonished. Cynthia reached the steps leading down to Snape's dungeon and took them two at a time, making it difficult for her followers to keep up with her, hampered as they were by the need to stay bunched together under the Cloak. When they caught up with her, she was banging a large iron doorknocker against a wooden door up the hallway from the Potions classroom.   
"Must be Snape's quarters," Harry whispered.   
"Shhh!" the others admonished. The door opened and Snape appeared, wearing a suspicious expression that changed to surprise when he saw Cynthia standing in the hall.   
"Hathaway," he said in an odd voice. "What brings you down here tonight?"   
"I've been asked to tutor a student in Potions, Professor Snape," she told him.   
"Have you?" Snape asked softly, looking rather pleased. He hesitated for a moment, then opened the door more widely. "Would you like to come in for a moment?" he asked, sounding almost shy. "We can discuss it much more comfortably sitting in front of the fire than standing out here in the hall."   
"He's asking her in!" Hermione whispered gleefully.   
"Shhh!" the others admonished. They crept up behind her so they could follow her into Snape's inner sanctum. It was dark and creepy, much like the man himself. There were large, overstuffed chairs in front of a fireplace that contained a dully sputtering little fire.   
"Won't you sit down?" Snape invited, pulling the door shut.   
"Oh no, we're trapped!" Neville whispered.   
"Shhh!" the others admonished. Cynthia sat down in one of the chairs next to the fire. Snape just stood there staring at her for a moment as though he was unable to believe his good fortune. Suddenly remembering himself, he hurried over and took the chair across from her.   
"It's Neville Longbottom," she said without preamble. Snape frowned.   
"Longbottom," he snorted. "He's hopeless. He's nearly a squib, if you ask me."   
"Well, I don't know how you expect him to do any better if you torture and terrorize the poor child!" she suddenly flared. Snape looked surprised. "Really, Professor Snape, I'd thought better of you! You've always been so kind and understanding when I've needed your help. But now I hear you made Longbottom drink a Joy Potion you knew was brewed incorrectly just to teach him a lesson! What lesson was he supposed to learn from that, anyway?" Snape looked abashed.   
"You're right," he said quietly. "I used very poor judgement."   
"Did I hear him right?" Harry whispered in disbelief.   
"Shhh!" the others admonished. Cynthia was eyeing Snape critically.   
"Look," she finally said. "I know you're an excellent teacher. You've taught me so much! I have so much faith in your abilities that I believe you could help Longbottom become an expert at potion brewing. But not by terrorizing the poor boy. If only you were as patient with him as you have been with me, I bet he'd do much better in class." A new idea suddenly formed in her mind. "Look," she said, leaning forward in her chair. "We could make Longbottom our project. Between the two of us, I bet we could get him up to snuff in no time at all! What do you say, Professor Snape?" The expression on Snape's face was somewhere between that of a man who's just learned that he's won the lottery and a man who's just learned that his head is going to be cut off. After a long moment, he spoke.   
"We would… work together on this?" Snape asked, his tone carefully neutral.   
"Of course!" she exclaimed. "I'll tutor him. All I ask is that you stop tormenting the poor kid in class. He's frightened enough of you already as it is." Harry and his companions could read the question in Snape's eyes as clearly as if he'd leaned out of the Divination classroom windows and shouted it to the world: _Do I frighten _her _too?_ But Cynthia appeared oblivious.   
"I'd be more than happy to help you make Longbottom into a competent potion brewer," he finally said. "In fact, I'd be willing to allow you to use the Potions classroom to tutor him. You can use it as often as you like - as long as I'm present as well, of course. School policy, you understand," he added hastily.   
"Of course," she replied.   
"School policy my - " Ron whispered.   
"Shhh!" the others admonished. Cynthia stood, beaming happily.   
"Well," she said, "I'd better get back to Ravenclaw. My friends will be wondering what's happened to me."   
"Oh…yes, of course," Snape said, jumping to his feet to escort her to the door. Harry and his companions had to move quickly to follow them.   
"I knew you wouldn't disappoint me, Professor Snape!" Cynthia told him, her hand on the doorknob. "You're the absolute BEST!" She grabbed his hand and squeezed it just as she'd done in the hallway outside the Potions classroom earlier that day. "We can talk about this more after class tomorrow," she told him, her eyes twinkling with happiness.   
"Yes," he said softly. "I'll… I'll see you then." He watched her hurry up the hallway towards the steps leading to the first floor. Sighing heavily, he turned and went back into his quarters, shutting the door behind him.   
"He's got it bad," Harry observed in a whisper as they left the dungeons.   
"I know - can you believe it?" Ron asked. They headed for the Gryffindor tower.   
"I never would have thought he had it in him," Neville agreed. They reached the painting of the Fat Lady.   
"Bog water," Hermione muttered, and the painting swung aside to admit them. Looking around to be sure no one was watching, the gang shed the Invisibility Cloak with relief.   
"I still can't believe it," Ron was saying gleefully. "Snape's hot for - "   
"Look at the time!" Hermione interrupted, glancing at her watch. "We've got ten minutes to deliver our essays to Professor Lupin." She gave the others disapproving looks. "I hope you've all finished yours!"   
"Of course we've finished, Hermione," Harry said reasonably. "Professor Lupin gave us an hour and a half to write one page of parchment, remember? I finished it with time to spare."   
"I wonder why he did that," Neville mused. "Gave us all that time, I mean."   
"I don't know," Ron replied. "But right now we've only got ten minutes to turn them in, so we'd better get moving!"   


Clutching their essays, Harry and his friends hurried towards the quarters Professor Lupin shared with his wife. When they finally arrived, they encountered a crowd of their classmates milling around outside.   
"What's going on?" Harry asked no one in particular.   
"I don't think anyone's home," Patil told them. Malfoy snorted.   
"How inconsiderate," he sneered. "After making us do all that work and have it ready by tonight, he's not even around to collect it."   
"Nonsense," Hermione said. "Professor Lupin isn't forgetful, and he certainly isn't ill-mannered."   
"Not like some people I could mention," Ron muttered. Harry moved towards the door and knocked sharply.   
"Hello!" he called. "Anyone home?" He knocked again. "Hmm," he said. He tried the knob, which was unlocked. The door swung open. "Hello?" Harry called again. He looked around at his classmates, shrugged, and stepped inside. The rest of the class followed slowly, allowing Harry to remain in the lead. In stark contrast to Snape's quarters, the Lupins' apartment was warm and cozy. The furniture looked invitingly comfortable. A cheerful, warm fire blazed in the hearth. There was a hallway off the living room, and they could hear Muggle music coming from a room somewhere in the back.   
"Someone must be here," Hermione whispered, indicating the faint music with a gesture.   
"Professor Lupin?" Harry called. "We're here with our essays."   
"Let's just leave them and go," Malfoy said impatiently.   
"We can't just leave," Ron told him. "Something might have happened to them, or - " He broke off in mid-sentence as he spotted something that made his heart skip a beat. Hermione followed his gaze and gasped aloud.   
"Oh my God…" she whispered. Gradually, the rest of the class spotted what had transfixed Ron and Hermione… except for Neville   
"Hey," he said brightly, oblivious to his the fact that his classmates were all staring out the window, paralyzed by fear. "I didn't know the Lupins had a dog."   
"Neville," Hermione whispered without turning around, not WANTING to turn around and see...   
"Here, pooch!" Neville was saying. "C'mere, boy!"   
"Neville," Hermione said.   
"There's a good pooch!" Neville said.   
"NEVILLE!" Hermione shouted.   
"There's no need to yell," he said, turning around. "I'm standing right here you know and…" He suddenly realized that all of his classmates were staring out the window. "Oh," Neville said, sounding oddly bemused. "What a lovely full moon!" Then his eyes rolled up in his head and he fainted dead away. Slowly, as one, the class turned to look at the werewolf. He sat in the hallway right outside the living room, staring at the class with Professor Lupin's blue-on-blue eyes.   
"Oh my God," Ron said, backing away.   
"Crabbe's just wet himself!" one of the Slytherins exclaimed.   
"Here!" Malfoy said, holding up a piece of parchment. His voice shook with terror. "Here's my damn essay!" He threw it on the floor and beat a hasty retreat, closely followed by most of the Slytherins and quite a few Gryffindors as well. The werewolf put his head to one side. Harry could have sworn he looked disappointed. The remaining students exchanged apprehensive glances. Finally, Harry spoke.   
"Uh… Professor Lupin… we have our essays… I guess…. er… I guess you still want them?" The werewolf regarded him for a moment, then stood and calmly walked across the room to stand directly in front of the apartment door. He laid his ears back growled menacingly. Everyone took a step back.   
"Oh wait a minute, I get it!" Hermione exclaimed suddenly. "This is a practical lesson!" She reached for her wand and pointed it at the werewolf, but Ron was quicker on the draw.   
_ "Impedimenta!"_ he exclaimed. The werewolf put its head to one side, looking bemused. Ron looked chagrinned.   
"You can't use the Impediment Curse on a werewolf!" Hermione scolded. "Really, Ron, you should've done more reading at the library this afternoon!" She turned back to the werewolf and found that he was now directly in front of her. Before she could do anything, he was up on his hind legs, his massive front paws on her shoulders.   
"HERMIONE!" Ron yelled, pointing his wand at the werewolf again. "_Impedimenta,_ dammit!" Nothing happened. The werewolf toppled Hermione over backwards, pinned her under his weight and licked her face rather sloppily.   
"Professor Lupin," Hermione giggled. "Stop it!" She waved her wand around rather ineffectually. "Stop it! That tickles!" The other students milled around, uncertain what to do.   
_ "Densaugeo!"_ someone shouted, pointing a wand at the werewolf.   
"You idiot! Do you really want his teeth to get bigger? Thank God you missed!" Harry drew his wand and pointed it at the werewolf.   
_"Homorphus,"_ he said quietly. A beam of blue light shot out of the end of his wand, enveloping the werewolf in a bright blue haze. When the light subsided, Professor Lupin lay sprawled on top of Hermione, who was still giggling.   
"What a picture THAT would make," Ron said, indicating Lupin and Hermione. Embarrassed, Lupin rolled off of her to lie on his back on the floor. He looked weak and exhausted. Amanda suddenly appeared in the hallway.   
"Wow," she said quietly, gazing at her prematurely transformed husband in shock.   
"'Wow' is not the first word that springs to mind," Professor Lupin groaned, putting a hand over his eyes. Hermione sat up, wiping her face with her hands and eyeing Lupin in disbelief.   
"I… I did it!" Harry exclaimed, as though he'd just realized what had happened. Lupin gave a short laugh.   
"You certainly did," he agreed. "I knew someone would try it, but I didn't think anyone would be able to pull it off," he confessed.   
"Are you all right?" Amanda asked. She went over to kneel on the floor beside him and took one of his hands in hers.   
"I've felt better!" he told her.   
"How was it?" Harry asked. "I mean, maybe I can do it again for you next month…"   
"Thank you, Harry, but I don't think that's an experience I'd care to repeat," Lupin said ruefully.   
"Did it hurt?" one of the Slytherins asked curiously.   
"Ten times more than a regular transformation," Lupin replied. "It was… unpleasant." Amanda and Hermione helped him stand and guided him over to the sofa, where he collapsed, looking drained. Amanda sat down beside him and took his hand again.   
"You should go see Madame Pomfrey," Amanda told him. He gave her a weak smile.   
"I'll be fine, Amanda."   
"Now I see why you made sure Malfoy didn't bring his anti-werewolf weaponry to school with him!" Harry said.   
"He would have been too chicken to use it," Ron snorted. "Did you see him run?" Lupin smiled faintly, his eyes closed.   
"You know, Hermione," Lupin said. "If I'd been another werewolf, you'd have been dead." He opened his eyes and regarded the rest of the class steadily. "You'd have _all_ been dead."   
"Except Harry," Ron pointed out.   
"No," Harry disagreed. "He's right. I was only able to do the Homorphus Charm because I wasn't afraid. I knew Professor Lupin wouldn't hurt us. Hermione could have done the charm too if... er... she hadn't been distracted." A few students giggled.   
"So what have we learned tonight, class?" Lupin asked.   
"If you see a werewolf, run like hell!" Ron said. Everyone laughed   
"All right," Lupin agreed, smiling. "What else?"   
"The Impediment Curse doesn't work on werewolves," Hermione said, giving Ron a significant look, which he pretended not to see.   
"Growing teeth on werewolves probably isn't a good idea," someone else said. Lupin laughed weakly.   
"All right, kids," Amanda said, standing. "I think it's time for this party to come to an end."   
"Yeah, we should let him get some rest," Hermione agreed.   
"Yeah," Harry said. "Oh, uh, here's my essay," he said belatedly, holding out a piece of parchment to Amanda. She took it, smiling. Ron and Hermione came forward with their assignments. As the other students began giving their parchments to Amanda, Lupin spoke.   
"There's a new assignment," he said without opening his eyes. Everyone groaned. "I want a parchment on how you'll behave differently if you're ever confronted with a werewolf again. There will be no class tomorrow, so it's due lhe day after that. Oh yes, and fifty points to Gryffindor for Harry's use of the Homorphus Charm, and five points from the houses of each person who ran away."   
"There goes our fifty points," Ron muttered.   
"Longbottom fainted," one of the Slytherins pointed out, gesturing at his unconscious form sprawled behind a chair. "Gryffindor should lose extra points for that." But no one was paying attention.   
"I hope you feel better soon," Hermione told Lupin.   
"Yeah, me too," Harry agreed.   
"Yeah…you take care of yourself," Ron added. A few other students expressed their good wishes before leaving. Amanda walked over to the sofa and stood over Remus, shaking her head.   
"Well, Mister 'They Need Practical Experience In Coping With A Real Live Werewolf'," she said. "I think we'd better get you in bed."   
"Sounds wonderful," Remus said without opening his eyes.   
"Can you walk?" she asked. He nodded silently. "Come on," she said, helping him up. "Hang on a minute," she told him. "Look." She pointed at the window. He turned to see the full moon hanging in the night sky.   
"Haven't seen THAT with human eyes for awhile," he murmured. She smiled at him. Smiling back, he put an arm around her. They walked out of the living room, with Remus leaning heavily on Amanda. As they left, Remus muttered a spell to extinguish the lights. For a few moments, all was quiet in the Lupin apartment. And then -   
"Guys?" Neville Longbottom's voice said in the darkness of the living room. "What happened? Where IS everybody? Hello? Anyone…?"   


FINIS.   
  



End file.
